Sealed single rotor turbine

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for generating power wherein a fluid is accelerated and compressed within a rotating rotor in outward extending fluid passageways with removal of heat from said fluid during first part of said compression, and heat addition to said fluid during latter part of said compression, and wherein said fluid is then decelerated in passages extending inward with work being obtained during said deceleration. The fluid being used is normally a gaseous fluid, and is normally sealed and circulated within said rotor. The heating and cooling are provided by circulating a heating and cooling fluid through respective heat exchangers. Heat may be also added in part during said deceleration, and heat may be removed in part during said deceleration.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,874,190 Eskeli 1 5] Apr. 1, 1975 SEALEDSINGLE ROTOR TURBINE 3,795.46] 3/1974 Eskeli 415/178 3,828,573 8/1974Eskeli 62/401 [76] Inventor: Eskel" 7994741 Locke 3,834,179 9/1974Eskeli 62/401 Houston, Tex. 77042 [22] Filed: Jan. 31, 1974 PrimaryE.\am1'nerHenry F. Raduazo [21] Appl. No.: 438,239

Related U.S. Application Data [57] ABSTRACT [63] Continuation-impart ofSer. No. 410.985, Oct. 30, A method f apparatus for generatmg p w 1973,wherein a fluid is accelerated and compressed within a rotating rotor inoutward extending fluid passageways [52] U.S. Cl 62/401, 415/178, 165/86i h r moval of heat from said fluid during first part [51] Int. Cl. F25d9/00, F28d 11/00 of sa compression, and at ti n to said fluid [58] Fieldof Search 410/1; 415/178, 179; d ring la t r pa f id mpr i n, n h rein/86; 62/401, 402, 499, 500 said fluid is then decelerated in passagesextending inward with work being obtained during said decelera- [56]References Cited tion. The fluid being used is normally a gaseous fluid,

UNITED STATES PATENTS and is normally sealed and circulated within saidrotor. The heating and cooling are provided by circulating a heating andcooling fluid through respective heat 268113007 0/1954 71114118112111:1: 415/ exchangers Heat may be also added in P during 333110.574 2/1907138C111 415/179 Said deceleration, and hear y be removed in P 3.726.6054/1973 B50111 415/178 uring said deceleration. 3,791,167 2/1974 Eskeli62/401 3.793.848 2 1974 Eskcli 415 120 4 Clalms 2 Drawmg Flgures SEALEDSINGLE ROTOR TURBINE CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is acontinuation-in-part application of a previous application titled SealedSingle Rotor Turbine, filed /30/73, Ser. No. 410,985.

This invention relates generally to devices for generating power inresponse of a fluid being flowed from a higher energy level to a lowerenergy level by passing said fluid through a rotating turbine rotor.

There have been various types of turbines previously; in some of these afluid is accelerated in single or multiple stationary nozzles and thenpassed to vanes mounted on a rotating rotor wheel, where the kineticenergy of the moving fluid is converted to power.

These conventional turbines normally have high energy losses due tofluid friction, especially between rotor vanes and the fluid where thevelocity differentials are usually large.

FIG. 1 is a cross section of the turbine, and

FIG. 2 is an end view of the same unit.

It is an object of this invention to provide a turbine where the workingfirst fluid is sealed within the turbine rotor and heat is added to saidfirst fluid from a second fluid during and after compression, andcooling is provided for said first fluid before and during first part ofsaid compression; this being done to improve the performance of saidturbine.

Referring to FIG. I, therein is shown a cross section of the turbine. 10is casing, 11 is rotor, 12 is heat addition heat exchanger. 13 are rotornozzles for first fluid, I4 is rotor dividing wall, 15 is a vane withininward first fluid passages, 16 is a layer of thermal insulation, 17 issecond fluid distribution canduit, 18 is first fluid passage near rotorcenter. 19 and 26 are rotor bearings and seals. 20 is rotor shaft, 21and 22 are second fluid inlet and outlet, 23 is casing vent into which avacuum source may be connected, 24 is first fluid space within rotor, 25is heat removal heat exchanger, 27 and 28 are third fluid inlet andoutlet, 29 is third fluid passage within shaft 20, 30 is vane withinoutward extending first fluid passages.

In FIG. 2, an end view of the unit shown in FIG. 1, is illustrated withportions removed to show internal details. It) is casing, 11 is rotor,15 is vane within inward extending first fluid passages, 28 is thirdfluid outlet, 12 is heat addition heat exchanger, 25 is heat removalheat exchanger, 13 is rotor nozzle, 30 is vane, and 31 indicatesdirection of rotation for rotor.

In operation, first fluid enters the outward extending first fluidpassages via opening 18, and is accelerated and compressed as it passesoutward by centrifugal action on the fluid by said rotating rotor.During first part of said compression, heat is removed from said firstfluid in heat exchanger 25 where third fluid is circulated in heatexchange relationship with said first fluid. Then said first fluid isfurther accelerated and compressed with vanes 30 assuring that saidfirst fluid will rotate with said rotor. Heat is added to said firstfluid in heat exchanger I2, where said second fluid is circulated inheat exchange relationship with said first fluid. After compression,said first fluid is passed through nozzles I3 where said first fluid isfurther accelerated and discharged in forward direction so that theabsolute first fluid tangential velocity is the sum of the rotorvelocity and the leaving fluid velocity; said first fluid is passed tospace 24, and from there to inward extending first fluid passagewayswhere vanes 15 will assure that said first fluid will rotate with saidrotor for receiving the work associated with deceleration of said firstfluid by said rotor. After deceleration, said first fluid is passedthrough passage 18 thus completing its work cycle.

In the turbine of this invention heat is removed during or before thefirst part of compression, and heat is added into said first fluidduring latter part of said compression. The removal of heat duringcompression may be sufficient to provide for isothermal compressionduring said heat removal, and this will allow for a greater work outputby the turbine while having a lower temperature second fluid used forsaid heat addition. Thus, more work is obtained with a lessertemperature differential between said second fluid and said third fluid.Therefore, this turbine is particularly advantageous when thetemperature of said second fluid is low, and near the temperature ofsaid third fluid.

Various controls and governors are employed with the turbine of thisinvention. They do not form a part of this invention and are not furtherdescribed herein.

The heat exchangers for said second and third fluids are shown to bemade of finned tubing in the drawings. Other types of heat exchangersmay be used, such as second fluid and third fluid conduits built in therotor walls, for example.

The first fluid is usually a gas, such as many of the hydrocarbons. Thesecond fluidl may be water, or some other liquid or a gas, and the thirdfluid also may be a liquid, or a gas.

The heat removal heat exchanger 25 may be extented to the inwardextending first fluid passages defined by vanes 15, if desired, toprovide additional heat transfer area.

What is claimed is:

l. A turbine for generating power and comprising:

a. a means for supporting shaft rotatably;

b. a shaft journalled in bearings in said support for rotation;

c. a rotating rotor mounted on said shaft so as to rotate in unisontherewith, said rotor being adapted for high speed rotation, said rotorhaving first radially outwardly extending first fluid passageways withvanes therewithin for ensuring that said first fluid therewithin rotatesat the same rotational speed as said rotor for effecting centrifugalcompression and for effecting an elevated pressure; said first radiallyextending passageways having at their outward ends means for dischargingsaid first fluid in forward direction which is in the direction ofrotation; said first radially extending passageways being provided withheating heat exchanger near the outward ends of said vanes to add heatto said first fluid prior of its said discharge forward; said firstradially extending passageways being provided with cooling heatexchanger to remove heat from said first fluid near the inward ends ofsaid vanes for removing heat from said first fluid before and duringearly part of said compression; said first fluid being discharged fromsaid forward discharge means to radially inward extending first fluidpassages, with said inward extending passages having vanes therewithinfor receiving the work associated with deceleration of said first fluid;said inward extending first fluid passages outward ends being situ- 3 4ated outwardly from said first fluid forward dise. a second fluid beingcirculated within said heating charge means; said first fluid is thenpassed through heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship withpassages to said first outward extending first fluid said first fluid;passageways; said heating heat exchanger being f. a third fluid beingcirculated within said cooling provided with with a second fluid withsaid second 5 heat exchanger and being in heat exchange relafluidentering and leaving said rotor via passagetionship with said firstfluid. ways near the center of said rotor; said cooling heat 2. Theturbine of claim 1 wherein said first fluid forexehanger being providedwith a third fluid with ward discharge means are converging typenozzles. said third fluid entering and leaving said rotor via 3. Theturbine of claim I wherein said heating fluid passageways near thecenter of said rotor; is a liquid. d. a first fluid being circulatedwithin said rotor with 4. The turbine of claim 1 wherein said heatingfluid a predetermined amount of said first fluid having is a gas. beensealed within said rotor;

1. A turbine for generating power and comprising: a. a means forsupporting shaft rotatably; b. a shaft journalled in bearings in saidsupport for rotation; c. a rotating rotor mounted on said shaft so as torotate in unison therewith, said rotor being adapted for high speedrotation, said rotor having first radially outwardly extending firstfluid passageways with vanes therewithin for ensuring that said firstfluid therewithin rotates at the same rotational speed as said rotor foreffecting centrifugal compression and for effecting an elevatedpressure; said first radially extending passageways having at theiroutward ends means for discharging said first fluid in forward directionwhich is in the direction of rotation; said first radially extendingpassageways being provided with heating heat exchanger near the outwardends of said vanes to add heat to said first fluid prior of its saiddischarge forward; said first radially extending passageways beingprovided with cooling heat exchanger to remove heat from said firstfluid near the inward ends of said vanes for removing heat from saidfirst fluid before and during early part of said compression; said firstfluid being discharged from said forward discharge means to radiallyinward extending first fluId passages, with said inward extendingpassages having vanes therewithin for receiving the work associated withdeceleration of said first fluid; said inward extending first fluidpassages outward ends being situated outwardly from said first fluidforward discharge means; said first fluid is then passed throughpassages to said first outward extending first fluid passageways; saidheating heat exchanger being provided with with a second fluid with saidsecond fluid entering and leaving said rotor via passageways near thecenter of said rotor; said cooling heat exchanger being provided with athird fluid with said third fluid entering and leaving said rotor viapassageways near the center of said rotor; d. a first fluid beingcirculated within said rotor with a predetermined amount of said firstfluid having been sealed within said rotor; e. a second fluid beingcirculated within said heating heat exchanger in heat exchangerelationship with said first fluid; f. a third fluid being circulatedwithin said cooling heat exchanger and being in heat exchangerelationship with said first fluid.
 2. The turbine of claim 1 whereinsaid first fluid forward discharge means are converging type nozzles. 3.The turbine of claim 1 wherein said heating fluid is a liquid.
 4. Theturbine of claim 1 wherein said heating fluid is a gas.